{{short description|Belgian politician (1900–1976)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Albert Lilar | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Albert Jean Julien François | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1900|12|21}} | birth_place = Antwerp, Belgium | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1976|3|16|1900|12|21}} | death_place = | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = politician, lawyer }} '''Albert Jean Julien François, Baron Lilar''' (21 December 1900 – 16 March 1976) was a Belgian politician of the Liberal Party and a minister of justice.
== Early life == Lilar was a renowned lawyer of admiralty and International Private Law in Antwerp, and Chairman of the International Maritime Committee. He was also a professor of law at the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
== Career == In his political life, Lilar was a member of parliaments for the liberal party, senator of the Arrondissement Antwerp (1946–1971) and four times minister of justice (1946–1947, 1949–1950, 1954–1958 en 1960–1961). He became minister of state in 1969. Under the Gaston Eyskens government (1958–1960), Lilar was vice-premier of the cabinet.
As vice-premier, he was elected president of the Round Table in 1960 whose discussions lead to the independence of the Belgian Congo.
A humanitarian and defender of human rights, no death penalties were carried out under his terms as minister of justice.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Monballyu |first=Jos |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=01H3AwAAQBAJ |title=Six Centuries of Criminal Law: History of Criminal Law in the Southern Netherlands and Belgium (1400–2000) |date=2014-06-19 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn=978-90-04-27398-6 |pages=207–211}}</ref>
== Personal life == He married in 1929 the writer Suzanne Lilar (née Vebist),<ref>{{Cite book |last=State |first=Paul F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fj19CAAAQBAJ |title=Historical Dictionary of Brussels |date=2015-04-16 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-8108-7921-8 |pages=255–256}}</ref> and fathered 2 daughters : writer Françoise Mallet-Joris (1930–2016) and the 18th century art historian Marie Fredericq-Lilar (1934–2022).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Petit |first=Susan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bA7LScNIhDkC |title=Françoise Mallet-Joris |date=2001 |publisher=Rodopi |isbn=978-90-420-1216-5 |pages=8–9}}</ref>
== Legacy == The Albert Lilar Prize from the Comité Maritime International is awarded for a leading work on maritime law published in any language in the world during the previous five years.
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111121080221/http://www.liberaalarchief.be/invlilar.pdf Biography and Inventory of the Liberal Archives Albert Lilar] (in Dutch) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071215083417/http://www.congoforum.be/fr/congodetail.asp?subitem=21&id=22253&Congofiche=selected The Round Table – Congo] *[http://lepotentiel.com/afficher_article.php?id_edition=&id_article=4522 More on The Round Table – Congo] *[http://ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/1957_9_WestEurope.pdf Postwar Western Europe 1955–1956] *[http://ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/1958_8_WestCurope.pdf Postwar Western Europe 1956–1957] *[http://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/comm/lmb/312_7_page_577_to_652.pdf Independence of the Belgian Congo] *[http://www.cegesoma.be/invent/RapportsIndicateurSipo-SD_AA1688.pdf Anti-Nazi activities 1936–1939]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[http://users.skynet.be/sb176943/AndriesVandenAbeele/AVDA282.htm Freemasonry during Nazi domination in Belgium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808140730/http://users.skynet.be/sb176943/AndriesVandenAbeele/AVDA282.htm |date=8 August 2007 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061004073205/http://www.faib.org/book/print/1 FAIB website]
{{Portal|Belgium}}
{{Justice Ministers of Belgium}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lilar, Albert}} <!--Category:Liberal politicians Temporary, category is being considered for deletion.-->
Category:1900 births Category:1976 deaths Category:Politicians from Antwerp Category:Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats politicians Category:Ministers of state of Belgium Category:Belgian barons <!-- Foreign Honours --> Category:Ministers of justice of Belgium
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